I am brewing an Octoberfest Lager Extract kit from AHS.. I made a 3l starter with 2 vials of WLP 820, but it didn't fully start when I dumped it in.. In other words, I rushed it. I made 3 liters of water and 2 cups of LME. Gravity was too high on the starter, around 1.080 somehow. When I brewed the batch, I didn't add my top off water as that would have given me too much final volume. When I took my OG reading, it was about 1.075 (should have been 1.06) I added my starter, and the total OG was 1.078 now.. It took a week to get the ferment started at 55 deg. A week later its only 1.070... I know lagers are slow, but does this sound like the right speed? I figured it would be a lot lower by now.
Starter addition
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How long did you let your starter sit for? Did you shake it occasionally? At what temp was the yeast and wort when you combined them? Lagers are incredibly slow. This yeast strain especially. Even so, I just did a lager in which I used a starter with two 2 liters of yeast slurry at 54 degrees. The fermentation started within 6 hours. Was ready for lagering within less than two weeks.
It would seem that there was an incredible lag in your lager getting started. As long at it keeps ticking away, no worries.
It would seem that there was an incredible lag in your lager getting started. As long at it keeps ticking away, no worries.
The starter sat for 24hrs, stirring or lightly shaking every hour or 2 as I was able to. I even kept the starter at room temp for the first 12 hrs, then put it into my brew fridge at 60 then slowly dropped it down to 55. I pitched the starter at 55 to wort that was closer to 65.. I'm sure I didn't treat the yeast as well as I should have.. They did have a rough life.. The first vial arrived during a heat wave. Went from the shipping box to the fridge where it sat for 3 weeks or so. Questions on whether it was good or not made for a 2nd vial to be ordered. The 2nd vial arrived about a week after the first, and sat in the fridge for 2 weeks. Starter day came, and I took them out from the fridge for about 6 hrs and put on the counter at room temp, shaking intermittently. I then put both in my pocket to warm up and shake up some more as I was walking around. Starter cooled to 65 and I pitched both vials. They had been through a lot of stress in a few weeks.
The other question I forgot to ask--- from the story above, how do you go about adding a starter to a batch, replacing top off water and still keeping the OG the same. Do you just make a bigger batch?
The other question I forgot to ask--- from the story above, how do you go about adding a starter to a batch, replacing top off water and still keeping the OG the same. Do you just make a bigger batch?
So I have a two liter (2.000ml) flask. The way I create lots of yeast is by doing a two liter yeast starter with a relatively low O.G., usually 1.035-1.040. I let that go for a day with the stir plate keeping it in motion. You can just use the method you were using for aeration. After a day I toss it in the fridge for another day. The yeast will collect on the bottom as a white slurry. After that day of chilling I pour off the liquid. At this point I repeat the initial steps and create another two liters of wort to pour on the yeast already in the flask. I let that go for a day, then chill it for a day and pour off all the liquid but enough to stir the yeast. I then add the slurry to the carboy.
The key is to not add the spent wort the yeast have been feeding on because it might lead to off-flavors. At first you feel like you are pouring good yeast down the drain, but there is nothing to worry about. Done it many times and it always turns out fine.
I just read this only moments ago from some material I downloaded online, so I can't vouch for credibility: "What everyone seems to agree on is that yeast grow more rapidly in lower gravity wort." Your high gravity starter could of made your yeast grow slower in the starter. No worries, though. Just let your beer ferment as it is. Hopefully it won't get stuck. And don't forget a REALLY solid Diacetyl rest.
Another thing i want to ask is if you aerated the wort really well before adding the yeast? I was reading about WLP820 and one person wrote that they did a batch with strictly a vile and no starter and it only took 48 hours to get started. One week is a pretty long time to start seeing activity.
The key is to not add the spent wort the yeast have been feeding on because it might lead to off-flavors. At first you feel like you are pouring good yeast down the drain, but there is nothing to worry about. Done it many times and it always turns out fine.
I just read this only moments ago from some material I downloaded online, so I can't vouch for credibility: "What everyone seems to agree on is that yeast grow more rapidly in lower gravity wort." Your high gravity starter could of made your yeast grow slower in the starter. No worries, though. Just let your beer ferment as it is. Hopefully it won't get stuck. And don't forget a REALLY solid Diacetyl rest.
Another thing i want to ask is if you aerated the wort really well before adding the yeast? I was reading about WLP820 and one person wrote that they did a batch with strictly a vile and no starter and it only took 48 hours to get started. One week is a pretty long time to start seeing activity.
